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Face to Face with Orange County’s Homeless Families
I’m not the type that usually blogs…so the fact that I am taking the time to write this blog means there’s something I really want to share. And if you’re usually not someone who follows a blog, then maybe you should take the time to finish reading this, since we’re both doing something we don’t usually do anyway.
First off, for those who don’t know, I coordinate the We’ve Got Your Back program where we distribute backpacks full of nutritious food every weekend throughout the school year for over 800 elementary-school children who are identified as homeless (unstable housing, living in motels) by the criteria of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Because we still want to provide for the families during the break from school, we are starting our Summer Distribution Program this year where we will be at various locations throughout Orange County on certain days to give food to the families. All they have to do is show up!
At last Thursday’s distribution, we were able to meet and talk to the people who benefit from all our efforts here at Giving Children Hope. I met a pregnant mom who walked with her five young daughters and a baby boy to come pick up the bags of food from us. It must not be easy walking a few miles with five kids under the hot sun- And can I mention again that she was pregnant? They would also have to walk back carrying the bags of food. All the effort they made to show up at our distribution site showed me that they really needed the food. I was talking to her 4th grade daughter who told me it was her birthday next week, but her family doesn’t celebrate birthdays. But she had no complaints. She simply shared that fact with me like it was no big deal…she was simply excited she was getting a year older.
I also met a 5th grade boy with tattered shoes who was telling me about how he loved math and was excited about entering the GATE program. His eyes lit up when he was talking to me about school…SCHOOL! How often does that happen? It was such a sweet moment to me, because I could tell that he and his younger sister and brother didn’t have much, but they were so excited about the simple things: about getting good grades, about their favorite subjects in school, and getting the chance to watch Toy Story 3 in the theaters that weekend.
Another cool thing was I got to meet a lively woman in her sixties who had adopted a 7-year-old boy and wanted to enroll him in our program. She was speaking a mix of Spanish and Portuguese, and since I speak Portuguese (I grew up in Brazil), I was wondering why I could understand some of what she was saying. I thought at first that I was just going crazy, but then I decided to ask her if she was actually speaking Portuguese. I soon found out that she was born in Brazil and traveled around many places (which I can relate to), and before I knew it, we were chatting like good friends. She even offered to cook Brazilian meals for me and my friends! I thought it was such a kind and generous offer, considering she barely had enough for her and her child.
We stayed at that distribution site for only two hours, but I was able to see that all the hard work the volunteers and staff put into keeping this program running every week help families make it through another week. It’s not extra food to them… it’s their meals. I’ve learned that there are over 22,000 homeless children and youth (pre-K to 12th grade) living in Orange County, according to the 2009 Orange County Board of Education Homeless Liaisons Report. But that’s no longer just a stat to me; I’ve actually met the kids. The families I met on Thursday encourages me to keep on working even on days when I feel completely exhausted, because I am reminded that none of this is really for me. It’s for the kids…like the smart boy with the hole in his shoe, so he won’t have to worry about where his next meal will come from…but be able to continue focusing on things that a young boy should care about…like excelling in school. – Ruth
Ruth Sze
We’ve Got Your Back
Program Coordinator
Homelessness in Orange County
Most people are unaware that there is such a large homeless rate in Orange County. In fact, for this school year there are 22,025 children in Orange County. Through our We’ve Got Your Back program, GCHope has been feeding 356 of them on a weekly basis. Our goal this year is to feed 1,000 of these children each week.
To partner with us on this endeavor, the Dhont Family Foundation recently awarded us a $25,000 matching grant. Just today we received $4,000 from the Yorba Linda Sunrise Rotary club which will now be doubled. However, we have just 4 weeks left to raise $20,935 to fulfill the grant. That means we need service clubs, churches and individuals to get involved to help these children. The $25,000 raised will turn into $50,000 and will help to feed 208 homeless children and their families – EVERY – SINGLE – WEEK!
So, if you’ve been wondering about how you can make a difference this holiday season, consider giving to the We’ve Got Your Back program to have your gift doubled. It only takes a little bit to have a huge impact in the life of a child!
22,000 homeless children in Orange County – my day at one school
As I’ve said before, I don’t enjoy fundraising in the sense that I don’t like asking people for money. Maybe that comes from my own pride because I don’t like asking people for much of anything…independent to a fault. However, the way I have come to view my job of fundraising is simply taking the time to tell the stories of people who have needs and then sharing that with the public. Those that want to participate in meeting needs usually feel really good about getting involved. So really, I play match-maker and story-teller and that’s a role I don’t mind playing at all.
Today I had the opportunity to do a school site visit with one of the schools on our program, Project Hope. Did you know that a school in Orange County existed solely to serve homeless children? Did you know that there were over 22,000 children considered to be homeless in the county? Before I came to work for GCHope I honestly had no idea.
My time at the school consisted of meeting with the school counselor Lori. Lori gave me a tour of the school, helped explain to me some of the issues the school faces and how the We’ve Got Your Back program helps, and brought me to meet some of the kids. You can watch a short video with Lori on this blog or in our GCHope TV station.
My conversation with Lori educated me even more on what the homeless situation is in Orange County and what some of the challenges are. 100% of the children in Project Hope are considered homeless under the McKinney-Vento Act. Additionally only 40% of these kids are living in motels, the rest are in parks, shelters, or cars. Can you imagine being a child and living in such a situation?
The We’ve Got Your Back program has been feeding these children for over a year now. The school provides breakfast and lunch during the school week, but over the weekends these children and their families have not had food. Lori had some great things to share about how this program has helped not only the children, but the school.
I was told that since implementation of the program that attendance has risen at the school. Parents who find themselves homeless have many challenges to get and keep their children in school. Ensuring that this population is educated can be difficult. Now that the school can offer to all of their students this weekend food program, enrollment has risen as has parent involvement. Lori explained that in the past it has been difficult to be involved with many of the parents – but now that they are receiving food over the weekends they are coming in to the school more and being more involved in the education of their children.
She also told me that the children have grown in their self-esteem and pride. In a way, they feel like they are helping to care for their family since they are the ones that receive and bring “home” the backpack. I’m sure the burden on these children can feel like the weight of the world – the We’ve Got Your Back program helps them to feel like they are helping.
Lori and I also talked about what homelessness means. Under the McKinney-Vento Act, over-crowding in apartments is considered to be homeless. I wanted to really understand this so I can explain it to our constituents. This does not mean that “my place is too small for my family therefore I am homeless.” This means on average that there are 3 families of 5-6 people per family living in a two bedroom apartment. So we are talking 15-18 people in a two bedroom apartment. Or a family that is living in a garage with no water and no bathroom. So while many of the homeless have shelter, they really do not have homes. And the children in these scenarios are sleeping on the floor and have difficulty concentrating and doing their homework because there is no real workspace to do it in. This is homeless.
Lastly Lori told me that the parents come to her and tell her that this program is literally saving their life. They don’t know what they would do without it. Some may be working very low wage jobs…and most do not have jobs with the high level of unemployment. Parents who had no where to turn and weren’t sure how they could care for their kids now have one less burden to bear.
What did the kids have to say? They told me that now they can have snacks when they leave school. One girl told me that apple sauce and spinach are her favorite foods. Another told me that if they have enough food they like to share it with the “homeless”. That was enough to put a giant smile on my face. Children’s dignity being preserved and them sharing their food with the homeless people they encounter. I cannot imagine a better thing to have happen through the program.
If you would like to be more involved in the We’ve Got Your Back program please call our office. We’re trying to move from serving 300 kids per week to 1,000. It’s a drop in the bucket to the needs of 22,000 – but to those children and their families it means the world. We can only do this though if YOU get involved. That means we need you to host a food drive to collect food for the program. It means we need funding of $240 a year per child to cover transportation and administration. We need you to collect more backpacks. We need you to volunteer packing the backpacks and doing some administrative needs for the program. We know that the 14 staff at GCHope can’t do what needs to be done…and we don’t want to do it all. We want YOUR help.
So this is a charge to YOU. Get your church, your service club, and your workplace involved. Because together we CAN care for the homeless children in our community!
Culinary Charities: Celebrity Chefs Making A Difference
Today I spent some time at what some call the “Longest Shortest Parade”. The parade on Balboa Island has thousands of people in it and thousands who watch it, but it’s just 2 blocks long…
GCHope is a selected charity of the Culinary Charities and they have a big foodie event coming up on August 8 & 9 with celebrity food chef, Guy Fieri. So the founder of the Culinary Charities, Grace Penney, asked if I would assist. I showed up and we marched in the parade wearing aprons and chef hats and passing out flyers for the event. It was a beautiful day and later Grace and I headed to Laguna where we caught up over lunch and enjoyed the weather and art of this fine city.
For those of you that don’t know, GCHope, like everyone else, is struggling in the economy. We recently took a 20% paycut but the needs of whom we serve have risen. We’re trying to figure out how to do more with less. So when the going gets tough you take it to the streets. Did this prove to sell tickets, who knows? I sure hope so, it will be a fun event! I di know that we have a lot of kids who are counting on us to help. So when all else fails, pick up a chef hat, put on your apron and march in the parade!
